Program Goals
The Rockford Area Violence Elimination Network (RAVEN) is a parole-based focused deterrence intervention in Illinois. The program was implemented by the Rockford Police Department in March 2013, in collaboration with various criminal justice agencies, the Office of the Mayor, social service providers, and community partners. The goal of the program is to reduce community-level firearm violence.
Program Components/Target Population
Following prior focused deterrence programs (also known as “pulling levers” strategies), the RAVEN program communicates a multipronged message to recently released individuals on parole who are high-risk and had prior histories of violent crimes. These messages, delivered through call-in meetings, informs individuals on parole that they will face increased sanctions for future criminal behavior, while also providing connections to community-based services.
Individuals who are high-risk are required to attend the call-in meetings as a condition of their parole. These call-in meetings, which last 1 hour, include several components. First, individuals are welcomed back to the community by the mayor or a member of the clergy. The welcome-back message informs the individuals on parole that they have paid their debt to society and now have the opportunity to contribute positively to the community by not engaging in further crime.
Next, law enforcement personnel inform the individuals that they (along with a coalition of other agencies) are taking active steps to monitor individuals on parole who are high-risk to reduce gun crime, and that future offending would result in more-severe sanctions. Individuals who are high-risk are also informed about the community-based services available to assist with their return to the community, including employment services, job skills training, and education opportunities. Finally, community leaders deliver a moral voice message to individuals on parole, underscoring the importance of reducing firearm crime and victimization.
At the end of the call-in meetings, case managers attempt to enroll individuals on parole into customized programs to support them during their reentry process.
Program Theory
Because the RAVEN program is based on the logic of focused deterrence, its theoretical foundation is deterrence theory, though it also incorporates procedural justice principles. Deterrence theory posits that crimes can be prevented when the cost of committing the crime is perceived to outweigh its benefits (Braga et al., 2001). The program increases the perceived costs of committing crimes by informing individuals who are high-risk that punishment for future crimes will be swift, certain, and severe. Similarly, the unified message that details specific sanctions for continued engagement in crime, draws on principles of procedural justice. It is believed that delivering a message in a non-threatening manner, outlining the sanctions that will occur should crime continue, and offering individuals access to services will increase the legitimacy of law enforcement, which, in turn, can increase compliance with the law (Corsaro and Engel, 2015; Papachristos et al., 2012; Tyler, 1997).